The Community
ROCK AND ROLL! => All Them Other Guys => Topic started by: KiloDeltaCharlie on June 19, 2020, 03:24:07 PM
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Started this thread to discuss Iced Earth stuff.
I suspect me and Charger may be the only contributors!
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I specifically created the thread today becase Iced Earth (well Jon Schaffer!) has set up a kickstarter campaign to promote Wicked Worlds and Epic Tales an artbook and narrative CD revisiting 15 Iced Earth songs from across their catalogue.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/icedearth/jon-schaffers-wicked-words-and-epic-tales?fbclid=IwAR3DKl23dF7zZkw16pEeYBPFckj3rSkQCmoNtkaOoo8CwnO87X6uupns9fQ (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/icedearth/jon-schaffers-wicked-words-and-epic-tales?fbclid=IwAR3DKl23dF7zZkw16pEeYBPFckj3rSkQCmoNtkaOoo8CwnO87X6uupns9fQ)
Personally I'll pass on this as it seems a lot of money for somethig I'll only listen to once!
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I've heard about that book but honestly I'm not too interested. That being said Jon is a great writer though.
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OK, I'll come at this like I did Bowie with Billy.
I'm not a fan. It's not that I don't like them - what I heard just didn't hit that spot for me. Maybe I didn't start at the right place, I don't know... So sell me, where is a good place to start and what kind of frame of mind is best for that starting place?
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So sell me, where is a good place to start and what kind of frame of mind is best for that starting place?
Personally, and think Charger might agree, I think you might want to first try The Glorious Burden, particularly the Gettysburg trilogy. While it is rock it is maybe a llittle more mainstream than some of the earlier/later stuff. The songs on this album are tales of conflict across the ages.
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So sort of like the 10-12 minute Iron Maiden songs about stuff like Dune, Ancient Mariners, and the like? Lots of parts to the songs?
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^^^
It was a particular trait of that album to do a concept about conflict. Most of the songs are in the 3-6 minute range, but the Gettysberg Trilogy are 12 - 7 - 12 minutes in length. Also the conflicts are real not like Dune and Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner!
There are some similarities with Iron Maiden, they've done at least 3 Iron Maiden cover (Transylvania, Hallowed Be Thy Name and The Number of the Beast), but they're more diverse than that.
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Yes The Gettysburg Trilogy is the way to go. It's a very complex piece of music that tells the story of the 3 days of battle, each song tells a story of a day.
I've always stated that the trilogy is probably one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. Such a great captivating story, historically accurate and wonderfully written both lyrically and musically.
Some of their earlier stuff is much more "run of the mill" metal (well part from Dante's Inferno I suppose) but Gettysburg is the most progressive and bigger production.
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OK, I'm set. I'm carving out some time Monday to give it a good, honest listen. I'm expecting metal, story, decent vocals. I'll deliver my report after taking in the first of the trilogy.
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With expectations appropriately set, I am definitely getting into it - first two tracks are working nicely.
Interesting choice of name for a band from Tampa, where the earth definitely ain't iced... :D
Vocals go between a Metal Church sound and then the Queen-like choruses, interesting choices...
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Most of the album was good, but the Gettysburg Trilogy at the end *really* shone brightly, best tracks of the set.
OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?
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OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?
Mummy cat!!!!! :rofl:
It's Set Abominae. The (anti)hero of the Something Wicked storyline.
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OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?
Mummy cat!!!!! :rofl:
It's Set Abominae. The (anti)hero of the Something Wicked storyline.
OK... explaaaaaiiiin... :)
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Prophecy (Something Wicked pt1)
Birth Of The Wicked (pt 2)
The Coming Curse (pt 3)
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The vocals on The Glorious Burden were by Tim "Ripper" Owens (briefly with Judas Priest in the 90s) and currently (maybe!) with Dio Disciples... is he Metal Church-like? The choral choruses I really like, and are used heavily on Framing Armageddon album too.
Jon Schaffer is a story teller (a good one too) and the Something Wicked story is one he's come back to a couple of times. It first appears on the Something Wicked This Way Comes album from 1998 with Matt Barlow on vocal duties. That's an album which might be worth a listen with the concluding Something Wicked trilogy particularly good. He then revisits the story with the twin albums: 2007s Framing Armageddon (Ripper on vocals) and 2008s Crucible of Man (Matt returned for that one). The first is one of my favourites and the later is a bit of a dissapointment really.
EDIT: I see Charger beat me to it!
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OK, I'll give the mummy cat songs a go later today. :D
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Reminds me a lot of Magica, in terms of ambitious story line and delivery. Cool stuff!
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I'm glad you're enjoying this stuff...
The Human/Setian storyline is actually quite brilliant.
Jon delves deeper into the whole story in the Something Wicked Pt 1 Framing Armageddon album, which deals with the beginning of the human invasion on earth and how the Setian deal with that.
Well worth a check that album if you like the storyline.
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TMZ announced today that Iced Earth have lost their Bassist, Singer and Lead Guitarists, all of whom have resigned from the band following Jon Schaffer's involvement with the Capitol riot earlier this year. Jon's collaborator in Demon's and Wizard's has left that band and both bands have been dropped by their record label.
That just leaves the drummer... who may not have got the memo! ;)
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Pretty much saw the label cutting ties coming...
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Well it looks like Jon Schaffer’s and Iced Earth’s music career is officially done.
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iced-earths-jon-schaffer-pleads-guilty-to-two-charges-for-his-role-in-capitol-riot/?fbclid=IwAR1QWVr9L5mNYWNimL6WVDmXjx-ysy4prUpgvW7vpZAfY1UWyTvg-akeqeo
It seems he’s also prepared to turn snitch to get a lighter sentence and enter the witness protection program as well.
What a major loser he’s turned out to be.
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It's a shame he interfered in politics in that way. He'll have 3 or 4 years to reflect on his mistakes, but it doesn't mean the end of his career, although I suspect it will be difficult to come back from this in any big way. Others have managed it, such as Robert Downey Jr.
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Well I doubt he'd even try to bring IE back after this...I think it would be bit too difficult to even get record deals....if he'd be a rapper and just killed some people that wouldn't be a problem...hell he'd be more wanted than ever...but alas he is not....
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Yeah he’s alienated a lot of the small fan base that he had as it is. Besides, if he’s prepared to testify against others to federal authorities and has to go into witness protection I can’t see any way he can have a career after that.
Robert Downey Jr is entirely different circumstances. Don’t understand how you can compare the two Kilo.
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Robert Downey Jr is entirely different circumstances. Don’t understand how you can compare the two Kilo.
True, probably not a good example. Leslie Grantham might be a better example, served 10 years for the murder of a German taxi driver, before becoming a huge star in the UK soap opera Eastenders.
But to be honest I doubt we'll hear from Schaffer again.
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Nobody likes a snitch. I think that, more than anything, is the big nail in his coffin. I doubt he is involved with an organization/gang/whatever that has anything approaching mafia-levels of retribution, but folks can have a long memory and...nobody likes a snitch.
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Hence the witness protection... look for him to be an assistant manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska at some point in the future.
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What a major loser he’s turned out to be.
That is for certain!! Never really got into Iced Earth, though I think I have a copy of an album called Horrorshow??
I always saw them as a poor man's Iron Maiden.
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Looking forward to the new Iced Earth album next year.... :whistling:
Well look no more!
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jon-schaffer-releases-new-iced-earth-album-a-narrative-soundscape/ (https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jon-schaffer-releases-new-iced-earth-album-a-narrative-soundscape/)
:ninja:
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Is that the one they did as a Kickstarter a couple of years ago? Didn't buy it then, probably won't buy it now! ;)
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That is yeah...
Not really my cup of tea either. Don't really see the point in it to be honest.
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Given he (and others) are being sued by the city of Washington, it might be a desperate money grab to cover the loses he's likely to incur.
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Quite possible indeed...could just be a record company thing as well...it's possible if they had some contractual thing they want to release stuff so they can then cut the band loose.
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Well, then again, if he doesn't go to jail, he can still do concerts.
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Isn’t he in witness protection though? Either way, probably not too smart to do concerts in the US if he values his safety. Maybe in Europe, but not sure how popular Iced Earth are there. I thought the US was where their main fan base was?
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They are (well... were!) quite big in parts of Europe like Germany (Plagues of Babylon got to No.5 on their album chart). But I'm sure you're right Jack, the US will be their/his main market.
I doubt Schaffer will be doing any personal appearances in support of this release, plus once the usefulness of his evidence has been assessed he will be going to jail (3 to 5 years I beleive).
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IE has certainly had a pretty big following in Europe...
As far as the future of the band...I doubt there'll be anything more in a while. I doubt there's anything to warrant a wit-sec program though. Nor I doubt he'd go for one either being a public figure and all. It will be interesting to see if he'll do some time more time...I mean he's been in custody for almost a year now so what ever his sentence will be, this will be considered time served.
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He's out of prison, he was only there until his case was heard, he was released May/June time last year having surrendered his passport. He's supposed to be working with the authorities to name-names and such like. That's why he needs Wit-Prot... certainly until its all over. If he isn't helpful to the authorities he gets a longer prison sentence, although not the 30-40 years he was initially look at.
BTW I was just wondering if we should move these posts to the Iced Earth thread?
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Done.
I thought he was still remanded...but yeah after some research he was indeed released but under the court's supervision.
Just becoming a witness doesn't automatically grant you access to wit-sec. It's pretty exclusive program actually and very few people get it....mostly people who testify against the mob or cartels or some big hitters like that...I'm pretty sure testifying against some protesters does not require that. And it would be rather difficult for a public figure anyways.
Nothing even indicates that he would be in protective custody or in a safe house...from what I gathered he's just living at home but has to report to the court every now and then.
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Standard probation stuff. He might not be able to tour if he's got a conviction, I remember that from a friend of mine who'd been to prison and was on parole - very restrictive on travel outside the county of residence.
But, yeah, it seems like it's another case of the artist and the art. I'm sure there are fans that either don't care or who can separate the artist from the art. And there will be people who won't be able to hear his work the same way.